Here's my thoughts on why Ben and Richard let the Oceanic 6 off the island and why they are suddenly so desperate for them to return.
Ben has conned Richard the entire time up until turning the wheel. He knew the future because it had already been laid out and he had been told it by Jacob. He knew he could be safe.
Richard thought letting people off the island was okay because he never dreamed that the wheel would ever be turned.
If it was turned, the island would need everybody that had been on it in recent 'memory' to return, trying to get it's Constant back. All these people who had left would also need to be each other's Constants.
Ben let the O6, Desmond and Lapidus off and actually hoped the rest of the 815/freighter folk would be off before he turned the wheel, too. He then purposefully turned the wheel, sending the island into disarray.
Jacob told Locke to move the island, yes, but that was before anyone left. Ben knew the plan would change should anyone leave, but he did it anyway. In spite of Widmore, in spite of Richard, in spite of Juliet in spite of everyone who hated his leadership of the island.
He then went and hired Sayid to pick off his enemies and gloated in Wdmore's face. He was fine with how things turned out.
But then he was 'arrested' by Hawking and the rest of the 'Time Police'-type people (I'm guessing including Jill). He had leadership of the island before and now thought because of that, he was above such petty punishments as being charged with being the man to bring the group back to the island.
He had never planned for the chaos he had caused to actually be pinned back to him and being given the responsibility to put things right again. He had hoped to be out of there with his money, a soldier and enough free time to rub Widmore's face in it. He used to be the leader but he's encountered far more powerful beings than he ever was, and they want him to put things right.
Theory by Andrew Sparkes
Ben has conned Richard the entire time up until turning the wheel. He knew the future because it had already been laid out and he had been told it by Jacob. He knew he could be safe.
Richard thought letting people off the island was okay because he never dreamed that the wheel would ever be turned.
If it was turned, the island would need everybody that had been on it in recent 'memory' to return, trying to get it's Constant back. All these people who had left would also need to be each other's Constants.
Ben let the O6, Desmond and Lapidus off and actually hoped the rest of the 815/freighter folk would be off before he turned the wheel, too. He then purposefully turned the wheel, sending the island into disarray.
Jacob told Locke to move the island, yes, but that was before anyone left. Ben knew the plan would change should anyone leave, but he did it anyway. In spite of Widmore, in spite of Richard, in spite of Juliet in spite of everyone who hated his leadership of the island.
He then went and hired Sayid to pick off his enemies and gloated in Wdmore's face. He was fine with how things turned out.
But then he was 'arrested' by Hawking and the rest of the 'Time Police'-type people (I'm guessing including Jill). He had leadership of the island before and now thought because of that, he was above such petty punishments as being charged with being the man to bring the group back to the island.
He had never planned for the chaos he had caused to actually be pinned back to him and being given the responsibility to put things right again. He had hoped to be out of there with his money, a soldier and enough free time to rub Widmore's face in it. He used to be the leader but he's encountered far more powerful beings than he ever was, and they want him to put things right.
Theory by Andrew Sparkes
